Housing Adviser - Housing

Main Purpose of Job

To prevent homelessness in accordance with the provisions of the Homelessness Reduction Act, associated Code of Guidance, case law and best practice. To undertake housing needs assessments for people seeking housing assistance and create housing plans tailored to the individual’s needs and circumstances. To manage a complex and demanding case load in a busy and often challenging environment and prevent or relieve homelessness through the provision of advice, advocacy, negotiation and mediation. To ensure that all housing options have been thoroughly explored to ensure best efforts to prevent homelessness. To undertake the assessment and investigation of homeless applications under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 where prevention/relief is not possible, and inform clients of their assessment outcome.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• To provide a front of house service for customers seeking housing advice and assistance, ensuring that both priority and non-priority customers are directed to the appropriate part of the service.
• Provide an advice and mediation service for households who live with families or friends and have been asked to leave, conducting home visits if required in order to help them to remain in their current accommodation and to avoid them having to move into temporary accommodation.
• To deliver a customer-facing service via drop-in and appointments and work occasional evening meetings where required to accommodate the demand and flow of customers.
• To deliver a customer-facing service via a telephone advice-line providing a full casework service for callers, as required.
• Assess the temporary accommodation needs of customers as required and follow established placement and sign-up processes in order to provide a seamless service.
• Manage a caseload of priority and non-priority need customers in housing need and maintain accurate and detailed casework records identifying priorities and meeting individual and service performance targets.
• Manage conflicting priorities between case work, face-to-face interviews and operate an effective telephone service to ensure all customers can speak to housing advisers on the day of enquiry.
• To use a range of housing options to provide alternatives to temporary accommodation, assessing the suitability of private renting as an option, working closely with the Lettings service.
• To provide private sector advice and casework to prevent the loss of private rented and owner-occupied accommodation and to ensure that accommodation is affordable and in a fit state of repair.
• To gather, record and verify information in relation to housing and homeless applications and assist those customers who need support to bid for permanent council or registered provider properties.
• To provide advice and support to tenants affected by welfare reform.
• The post holder will actively engage private tenants and other residents affected by benefit changes and prevent homelessness by negotiating with landlords, increasing incomes, helping tenants to move to more affordable accommodation or supporting them into work and engaging with other support services.
• To respond effectively to prevent homelessness through advice, negotiation, mediation or conciliation, or by securing immediate access to alternative accommodation and generally promoting a housing options approach to service delivery to a full range of customers, including people who are challenging and demanding.
• To assess the housing-related support needs of single people and arrange access to appropriate housing related support services (Pathways services) via agreed referral procedures.
• To assist customers living in supported housing to move to suitable and appropriate accommodation when they are ready to move into general needs accommodation.
• To assess clients under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 and recommend outcomes for approval by the Homeless Assessment Manager.
• To maintain and develop an excellent knowledge of housing options, homelessness law and practice and related fields including housing benefit and welfare rights.

Generic Responsibilities

• Be a champion for excellent customer service delivery and customer care and contribute to the development and delivery of an integrated service.
• Be self-serving with respect to administration, case record keeping and other related duties and utilise IT systems to update and record information required according to guidance and established procedures.
• Participate in appraisals, one-to-ones, objective settings, personal development plans and working group meetings and take a full and active role in service development, including service reviews.
• To carry out the duties of the post in accordance with the Data Protection Act, the Health & Safety at Work Act and other relevant legislation, as well as Council policies, procedures, Standing Orders and Financial Regulations.
• To carry out the duties of this post with due regard to the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy and to actively promote and uphold the Council’s FRESH values.
• Take responsibility, appropriate to the post, for ensuring compliance with council policies and procedures aimed at promoting and safeguarding the welfare of vulnerable children and adults.
• Take responsibility, appropriate to the post for promoting diversity including tackling racism and good race, ethnic & community relations.
• To undertake any other duties appropriate to the grade, that may be required. These may be varied from time to time to meet the needs of the service.